NUTRITION & HEALTH RESEARCH

The Nutrition and Health program is designed to provide information about the phytochemical compounds and nutritive value of the main mango varieties consumed in the U.S. and its relation with human health. It includes the following projects:

SKIN HEALTH STUDY

Determine if mango intake will result in favorable changes in measures of skin wrinkles and redness in postmenopausal women and assess secondary measures including skin resistance to sunburn and skin carotenoid content

METABOLIC ADAPTATION & GUT MICROBIOTA

Validate benefits of mango consumption on MetS parameters and intestinal integrity in overweight/obese men and women

Explore mechanisms of action through analyses of changes in key molecular signaling pathways and metabolic regulatory networks identified through transcriptomic and metabolomic studies

Study que prebiotic potential of mango consumption on the gut microbiota of overweight/obese men and women using a metagenomic approach

COGNITIVE FUNCTION & GUT HEALTH

Determine the beneficial impact of mango phytochemicals in lean and obese individuals for cognitive function and gut health

Investigate how obesity impacts the efficacy of mango polyphenols on cognitive function and gut health

Investigate the ability of probiotic bacteria to optimize the absorption and efficacy of mango phytochemicals in lean and obese individuals

All nutrition studies funded by the NMB use mangos that are readily available to U.S. consumers, meaning that common varieties and hot water treated mangos are used.

The discovery of new, positive health benefits from eating mangos could have a major impact on future mango sales. In this age of health-conscious consumers, nutrition messages are extremely powerful as a marketing tool. Consumers are hungry for news about how to stay healthier longer. Combined with the delicious flavor of mangos, nutrition messages may be a big win for the mango industry.